35 Tasting Notes

Ohh, I continue to be so pleasantly impressed with the Butiki Teas I ordered. Quality straight teas, that come with so much in-depth information about their region and tasting notes… that is enough to soothe my soul. But combined with this tea? Well, there are few words.

It has a sweet, honey-like aroma that makes me feel home. The flavor is smooth, mellow and gentle.. It’s almost a little sweet, which I like. Apparently those Taiwanese knew exactly what to do with assam – I love it. This is a malty, sweet black that will make a permanent home in my tea cupboard for sure. I wouldn’t dare brew it for any less time, nor would I ever add sugar or milk. This is a straight tea that deserves to be enjoyed straight.

Preparation

This is an excellent chai. As many other tea drinkers will I’m sure admit, I am very picky about my chai and typically opt to brew my own with fresh spices and a full-flavored straight black leaf. But this is a wonderful alternative to mornings when I just don’t have the time or energy to make my own. I love the cinnamon flavor, and there is a nice note of cloves to it. I will say, I was surprised to see a CTC tea in this mix, but it really makes for a nice, rich flavor. I quite like!

This tea is amazing, I could drink it all day every day and enjoy every last sip. The aroma is earthy, almost dirty – turned my roommate right off, until she sipped it. It is the perfect example of a medium-bodied flavor, not too subtle, and not too strong. The off-putting aroma has nothing on the creamy and satisfying flavor. I got this one just as a sample, but I will definitely be ordering more to keep this around.

This tea is a sweet little treasure. I was surprised to learn that it’s made with a green base, as most teas with these kinds of cream flavors are paired with a black. But I love the little earthy undertone and buttery flavor together. Perfect just as is – no additions required.

Wow, so this is maybe the first oolong tea that I’ve tried and enjoyed. Given the choice, I usually like to go for flavored or scented teas, I rarely go for straight teas, let alone an oolong variety.

The first brew of this tea had an overpowering taste of ginseng, with not a lot of the oolong flavor. The second brew however, was much more well-rounded. Both had intense flavor, without over-doing it or being bitter.

There’s a certain freshness to this tea, and the after taste is one of the most astringent that I know of. If you have ever chewed on licorice bark, you are already familiar with the feeling it leaves in your mouth. It’s refreshing, and I think it would be a good one if you were feeling a sore throat coming on, or weren’t feeling well.

Overall, it’s a neat tea. Not what I was expecting, but delicious in it’s own way.

I get really excited when I’m a first to review a tea. :) I must be one of the biggest tea nerds on the planet.

You know that saying “it’s worth its weight in gold”? Well… this tea is worth its weight in CHOCOLATE. Holy moly. This tea is a cup of hot chocolate, but without the calories. It is winter, come early. Ice skating and mittens included.

I took a to-go from the store, in the form of a delicious latte, but I wish I would have bought a tin of it. And when I say a tin, I mean one of the big tins they keep on the wall. This tea is ah-mazing.

I really don’t know how else to explain my love for it. Soy lattes made with this tea are to die for! There are so many well-balanced flavors in this tea that just… mmmmmmm. The almond is pretty potent, and the apricots give it a fruity body. It’s rich and creamy and delectable, and I’m just plain shocked there’s no liquor in it, damnit! SO GOOD.

This tea is terrific!! It’s hard to believe that a tea could actually sparkle, but if you’ve had this tea, you know it is absolutely possible. It glitters all the way through. My first reaction was “there’s a galaxy in my mug!”

This is such a smooth, comforting tea, with just the right balance of flavors. It’s unique enough that I don’t think I could compare it to much else. All I can tell you is that I have to restrict myself on how much black tea I can have, and this is one of the few that I keep around my tea cupboard for the occasional guilty pleasure brew.

So I’m not going to rate this tea… because I didn’t ingest it conventionally. I bought just enough of it to make some green tea matcha cupcakes (twice). Long story short, it was absolutely brilliant to use in my baking! I absolutely loved it!